1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to picture balls and more particularly to such a rotatable picture ball having a particular application in advertisement.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional magic block is a cube consisting of a plurality of small cubic blocks. A single sticker can be adhered to surface of each cubic block. Alternatively, two stickers are adhered to surfaces of two adjacent cubic blocks or four stickers are adhered to surfaces of four adjacent cubic blocks forming a square. These cubic blocks can be turned to form any of a variety of shapes. Accordingly, a variety of patterns are formed by the stickers. Moreover, a colorful pattern used as advertisement can be formed if the stickers are color.
However, the prior block is typically a cube. That is why we often call it magic cube. As to other shapes (e.g., spheres, ovals, or the like) of the magic block, there is no such disclosure as far as the present inventor knows. Further, many problems can arise with respect to, for example, a magic ball. After considerable research and experiment, the magic ball of the present invention has been devised to provide a brand new field of the continuous improvement of magic block.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotatable magic picture ball, comprising a ball assembly comprising an upper section including four upper units each occupying one eighth of a sphere and a lower section including four lower units each occupying one eighth of a sphere wherein each lower unit comprises a bottom cavity having a section of a quarter of a circle and a plurality of top first posts, a vertical edge and two horizontal edges are formed in each upper unit, and a vertical edge and two horizontal edges are formed in each lower unit; a base assembly comprising four sectors each occupying about a quarter of a cylinder and a central recessed portion including two vertical sleeves each having two channels and two horizontal sleeves each having two channels wherein each sector comprises a plurality of top holes with the first posts firmly fitted therein for positioning the lower section on the base assembly, a first recess at an inner corner thereof, a second post having a length less than that of the channel on the first recess, two adjacent second posts being rotatably inserted into the channels of one vertical sleeve for securing a first sector to an adjacent second sector and other two adjacent second posts being rotatably inserted into the channels of the other vertical sleeve for securing a third sector to an adjacent fourth sector, and a second recess besides the first recess, the second recess including two spaced pegs on its sides, the pegs of the first sector being rotatably fitted into one channel of one horizontal sleeve, the pegs of the fourth sector being rotatably fitted into the other channel of one horizontal sleeve for securing the first and the fourth sectors together, the pegs of the second sector being rotatably fitted into one channel of the other horizontal sleeve, the pegs of the third sector being rotatably fitted into the other channel of the other horizontal sleeve for securing the second and the third sectors together, and one of the first posts being rotatably inserted into one of the channels of the vertical sleeves for securing one lower unit to the sector below it; a plurality of stickers comprising first and second half-circular stickers wherein the first half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a first upper unit and that of a second upper unit together so that the first and the second upper units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, the second half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a third upper unit and that of a fourth upper unit together so that the third and the fourth upper units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, third and fourth half-circular stickers wherein the third half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a first lower unit and that of a second lower unit together so that the first and the second lower units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, and the fourth half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a third lower unit and that of a fourth lower unit together so that the third and the fourth lower units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth half-circular stickers wherein each is adhered to a second inner surface of the upper unit and that of its below lower unit together so that each upper unit and its below lower unit can turn each other about one of the horizontal edges therebetween, and ninth and tenth circular stickers wherein the ninth circular sticker is adapted to adhere third inner surfaces of the first and the second upper units and third inner surfaces of the first and the second lower units together so that the first upper and lower units and the second upper and lower units can turn each other about the vertical edges therebetween, and the tenth circular sticker is adapted to adhere third inner surfaces of the third and the fourth upper units and the third inner surfaces of the third and the fourth lower units together so that the third upper and lower units and the fourth upper and lower units can turn each other about the vertical edges therebetween; and a magnet on the first inner surface of each upper unit so that two adjacent upper units can be magnetically secured together. By utilizing the present invention, a variety of shapes can be formed by rotation. Also, a variety of patterns including color ones for advertisement can be formed on the picture ball by the stickers having predetermined patterns and/or the ball assembly having a predetermined pattern on its surface. Moreover, the stickers can be printed on the inner surfaces of the units in advance rather than adhered thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rotatable magic picture ball, comprising a ball assembly comprising an upper section including four upper units each occupying one eighth of a sphere and a lower section including four lower units each occupying one eighth of a sphere wherein each lower unit comprises a bottom recess having two spaced pegs on its sides, and two horizontal sleeves each having two channels, the pegs of a first lower unit being rotatably fitted into one channel of one horizontal sleeve, the pegs of a fourth lower unit being rotatably fitted into the other channel of one horizontal sleeve so that the first and the fourth lower units can turn each other, the pegs of a second lower unit being rotatably fitted into one channel of the other horizontal sleeve, and the pegs of a third lower unit being rotatably fitted into the other channel of the other horizontal sleeve so that the second and the third lower units can turn each other, a vertical edge and two horizontal edges are formed in each upper unit, and a vertical edge and two horizontal edges are formed in each lower unit; a plurality of stickers comprising first and second half-circular stickers wherein the first half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a first upper unit and that of a second upper unit together so that the first and the second upper units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, the second half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a third upper unit and that of a fourth upper unit together so that the third and the fourth upper units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, third and fourth half-circular stickers wherein the third half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a first lower unit and that of a second lower unit together so that the first and the second lower units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, and the fourth half-circular sticker is adhered to a first inner surface of a third lower unit and that of a fourth lower unit together so that the third and the fourth lower units can be turned each other about the vertical edge therebetween, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth half-circular stickers wherein each is adhered to a second inner surface of the upper unit and that of its below lower unit together so that each upper unit and its below lower unit can turn each other about one of the horizontal edges therebetween, and ninth and tenth circular stickers wherein the ninth circular sticker is adapted to adhere third inner surfaces of the first and the second upper units and third inner surfaces of the first and the second lower units together so that the first upper and lower units and the second upper and lower units can turn each other about the vertical edges therebetween, and the tenth circular sticker is adapted to adhere third inner surfaces of the third and the fourth upper units and the third inner surfaces of the third and the fourth lower units together so that the third upper and lower units and the fourth upper and lower units can turn each other about the vertical edges therebetween; and a magnet on the first inner surface of each upper unit so that two adjacent upper units can be magnetically secured together.
In one aspect of the present invention each sleeve has a substantially elongate elliptical section.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.